70,000 Returnees: Gal Gadot Stars in Election Night Special Amidst Inconclusive Results

More than 70,000 Israeli citizens returned from abroad to cast ballots in Tuesday’s election, a turnout that featured prominently in a two-part satirical special aired on Channel 12.

The program, Eretz Nehederet, divided its broadcast to match the timing of the vote. The first segment aired before the polls closed, while the second began after exit polls revealed an inconclusive outcome that fell short of the clear mandate either major political camp had sought.

Hollywood actress Gal Gadot appeared as a guest in the initial segment. In a sketch involving the show’s character Asher, a talkative cab driver played by Yuval Semo, Gadot climbed into the vehicle after arriving to vote. Semo’s character questioned whether she had returned for the election or for the television show The Masked Singer. Gadot confirmed she had come to vote.

Gadot stated that she had lived outside Israel for nearly 12 years. When asked which party she supported, she whispered the name to the driver, and the audio was bleeped out when he attempted to announce it. She cited the historical figure Hillel the Elder, saying, “If not now, when?”

The actor discussed the challenges of being Israeli and Jewish in Hollywood during a period of rising antisemitism. “It’s hard these days to be an Israeli abroad,” she said, noting that she often wore a mask when going out. She explained that she tries to provide context to Americans, adding that “what you see from there isn’t what we see from here.” Gadot said she plans to return to Israel with her husband and four daughters, three of whom were born in the United States. The family is currently building a house in the country.

The first half of the show portrayed political rivals as professional wrestlers. Gadi Eisenkot, leader of the Yashar party, held a sawed-off shotgun, while Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wielded a gold suitcase of cash. The visual referenced Qatari money transferred to Hamas with government approval. Another sketch mocked an AI image Netanyahu released late in the campaign, which purported to show Tel Aviv destroyed by an Iranian nuclear bomb. The show also teased Naftali Bennett, head of the B'Yachad Party, for missing his chance to vote while absorbed in a discussion with older citizens.

The second segment addressed the lack of a decisive winner. Writers depicted Eisenkot, Bennett, and Avigdor Liberman as game show contestants struggling to walk back promises regarding coalition partners. Ofer Winter and Yoseph Haddad of the People of Israel Party appeared distressed that their party missed the Knesset threshold. Haddad remarked that he seemed to be the only Arab not elected, noting the strong performance of other Arab parties.

The broadcast concluded with a deviation from the show’s usual format. Host Eyal Kitzis skipped his standard line about Israel being a wonderful country. Instead, he handed the show directly to Channel 12 news anchor Yonit Levi.